South Korea could send arms to Ukraine after North Korea deploys troops to aid Russia

10/29/2024 / By Ramon Tomey

South Korea could send weapons to Ukraine following news of North Korea deploying troops to aid its close ally Russia.

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol told reporters on Thursday, Oct. 24, that Seoul will respond to Pyongyang’s deployment of troops to help Moscow – including by supplying Kyiv with weapons it needs. He said the Republic of Korea (ROK) will not “sit idle” in the face of a “provocation” by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) that “threatens global security beyond the Korean Peninsula and Europe.”

Yoon pledged support for additional ROK weapons sales to Poland, including the sale of $7 billion worth of South Korean K2 battle tanks. According to NPR, Seoul has helped Kyiv by providing arms to the U.S. and Ukraine’s neighbors. However, the South Korean leader said that policy could change.

“We have had a principle of not directly supporting lethal weapons,” Yoon told reporters in the South Korean capital. “But we can be more flexible and review the policy depending on North Korea’s military activities.”

The South Korean president’s remarks followed a summit meeting with Polish President Andrzej Duda. They also came after U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin claimed on Wednesday, Oct. 23, that Washington has evidence that the DPRK sent troops to Russia. While he didn’t specify what the evidence was, Austin nevertheless remarked that DPRK troops fighting on the side of Moscow would be a “very, very serious issue.”

Also on Wednesday, the chief of South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) told lawmakers that Pyongyang has sent 3,000 troops – including special forces – to Russia for training. The DPRK plans to increase that number to 10,000 by December. (Related: South Korea claims North Korean troops will fight for Russia in Ukraine starting on November 1.)

Russia warns South Korea against joining the fray

A week prior, the NIS said the DPRK had sent more than 13,000 containers of artillery, missiles and other conventional weapons to Russia since last August. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned earlier this month that North Korea is “no longer just about transferring weapons” – but also troops to help Russian forces.

“The deployment of North Korean troops could add to concerns that the war risks spilling over and affecting tensions in Asia, from the Korean Peninsula to the Taiwan Strait,” NPR noted. Several commentators put in their two cents on the matter.

Lee Ho-ryung, a researcher at the Seoul-based government think tank Korea Institute for Defense Analyses, said North Korean troops could be sent to wear down Ukraine’s offensive into Russia’s Kursk region. According to him, they will likely be put “in charge of security and such as first.”

“But as time goes by and with training, they may be able to support Russian operations,” Lee continued. “Then, it is expected that there will be many casualties during that process.”

Meanwhile, retired ROK Navy Capt. Yoon Sukjoon (not related to the South Korean president), a senior research fellow at the Korean Institute for Maritime Strategy, commented on Seoul’s promise to arm Ukraine. He argued that the South Korean leader’s commitment to arm Ukraine “is music to Kyiv’s ears.” Moreover, Ukraine pointing to North Korean intervention will strengthen the Ukrainian government’s appeals for Western military aid.

“South Korea saying, ‘We will now stand on the U.S. side and sell offensive weapons to Ukraine’ helps Ukraine,” Yoon explained. “I think that’s ultimately what Ukraine wanted to get from Zelensky’s disclosure.”

For its part, Russia has warned the ROK not to get involved.

“It is necessary to think about the consequences for the security of South Korea,” said Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “The Russian Federation will react harshly to any steps that may pose a threat to the security of the country and its citizens.”

Head over to UkraineWitness.com for more stories about the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.

Watch this Fox 13 report about South Korea’s response to reports of North Korea deploying troops in aid of Russia.

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